Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Fred McKenna on July 12, 2011 at 10:37am

One of Steven Covey's 7 habits is to create a win-win scenario. The teacher made inappropriate, non-professional remarks outside of her classroom and posted to the world.

The discussions we have been encouraged to have with the world through social media are win-win conversations. They are thoughtful, professional conversations seeking to create a greater understanding of ideas and thoughts we passionately believe in. If educators do not initiate these conversations, other negative messages will dominate the landscape.

Permalink Reply by Marianne Klepacki on July 12, 2011 at 7:55pm

Write about what you love. An acquaintance with a graduate degree in education and an MBA, who is now the director of an entrepreneurship college program gave me this advice. Case in point: Julia & Julia, the first movie made as the result of a blog, per Wikipedia:

Julie & Julia is a 2009 American comedy-drama film written and directed by Nora Ephron starring Meryl Streep,Stanley Tucci, Amy Adams, and Chris Messina. The film contrasts the life of chef Julia Child in the early years of her culinary career with the life of young New Yorker Julie Powell, who aspires to cook all 524 recipes in Child's cookbook in 365 days, a challenge she described on her popular blog that would make her a published author.

Ephron's screenplay is adapted from two books: My Life in France, Child's autobiography written with Alex Prud'homme, and a memoir by Powell documenting online her daily experiences cooking each of the 524 recipes in Child's Mastering the Art of French Cooking, and she later began reworking that blog, The Julie/Julia Project.^[2] Both of these books were written and published in the same time frame (2004–06). The film is the first major motion picture based on a blog.^[3]

In March 2008, Ephron began filming with Streep as Child and Adams as Powell. On July 30, 2009, the film officially premiered at the Ziegfeld Theatre in New York; and, on August 7, 2009, it opened throughout North America.^[4] Streep and Adams previously starred together in Doubt (2008). Streep and Tucci previously starred together in The Devil Wears Prada (2006).

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Julie_%26_Julia

 

 

Permalink Reply by Blanca Duarte Martini on July 14, 2011 at 3:26pm

I think someone at the conference said it best when they mentioned how sometimes we are the ones creating the negative perception of teaching and the profession by what we say when asked, how's work. You have the power to affect those you touch in the world around you, whether it's online or face to face. Next time someone asks you how work is, like the woman in our audience said, say "You'll never believe what my kids are doing." Tell them how they are changing the world, collecting money for the disadvantaged, writing stories for their parents. Share the good. If you can find an avenue to "share the good" like a blog, more power to you! I look forward to reading - let us know when you're on your way by sharing your link. :)

Permalink Reply by Jared Bloom, PhD on July 16, 2011 at 12:43pm

I agree! We have to spend a lot more time celebrating the positive things that are happening in classrooms in our schools. It is even more important than ever to promote the various technologies (and just plain good teaching strategies) that are being used effectively to help our students develop the skills they will need in school, college and their future career(s).